The control of contamination by microorganisms is a recognized problem in the food processing industry. The process of preparing food products is largely concerned with preventing the contamination of such food products with harmful microorganisms. Indeed, many food processing facilities include equipment that is essentially closed to the external environment, difficult or impossible to clean and sanitize thus, hosting harmful microorganisms which can contaminate and/or colonize certain food product surfaces located in food processing equipment.
Indeed, in certain food processing facilities, pathogens may colonize food product surfaces and may cause food poisoning if cross contamination takes place. Furthermore, the colonization of certain pathogens may be detected during routine testing and screening of the food or the food production facility and can cause the company or the government to effectively shut down operations and and/or recall product from the market. Even worse, if consumers are exposed to the food containing the pathogen sickness or even death may occur.
Some types of bacteria can produce a substance that protects them from their environment and helps them to stick to food equipment surfaces. These bacterial congregations are known as biofilms. Many bacterial biofilms are ubiquitous in nature, and the food industry cannot escape many problems caused by pathogenic bacterial biofilms. Indeed, biofilms formed on food-processing equipment and other food product contact surfaces may act as a persistent source of contamination threatening the microbiological quality and safety of food products, and may further result in food-borne disease and economic losses. If it is a pathogenic microorganism that develops the biofilm on a food equipment surface, which cannot be easily seen, detected or removed, it can eventually break off or become dislodged during production or cleaning and contaminate food products or other food contact equipment. Interfering or preventing this from occurring is crucial to producing a safe and wholesome food product.
While many products are used to clean, i.e. a detergent or surfactant, and sanitize, i.e. a lethal agent or sanitizer such as chlorine, iodine, quaternary ammonia, peroxy compounds or chlorine dioxide, they are also difficult to use, mix, and apply to certain food processing equipment. Further, if these chemicals are improperly used they may not work or may impart a chemical hazard to the food product. Additionally, sanitizers like chlorine, iodine, quaternary ammonia, peroxy compounds or chlorine are corrosive to the food processing equipment and toxic to food production employees who utilize them to clean certain equipment. Moreover, if used at inappropriate concentrations on food contact surfaces; these chemicals can contaminate the food product such that the food product causes illness when ingested.
Furthermore, detergents and sanitizers are costly and may impart undesirable organoleptic changes in the food. Typically, a detergent must be applied before a sanitizer in order to be effective at removing and killing pathogens. Indeed, conventionally a detergent or surfactant must be applied to remove the biofilm before the pathogens can be killed. The procedure of applying detergents and sanitizers to clean effectively cannot be done if the target area cannot be reached. In the food processing industry, there are many surfaces that cannot be reached by current conventional methods and, thus, cannot be cleaned or sanitized.
As such, provided herein are probiotic compositions and methods of use for controlling pathogen growth in food processing facilities, for example on food product contact surfaces in food processing facilities. Further provided are probiotic compositions and methods for controlling pathogen growth on food product contact surfaces that eliminate food product contamination by pathogens that have not been effectively removed or by chemicals, such as detergents and sanitizers, used to clean food processing equipment. Furthermore, use of the probiotic compositions disclosed herein are not hazardous to food production equipment, employees, or the food product.